Air & Grace London could be in line for £150,000 investment as Worth Foundation fund winners are selected

News provided by Air & Grace London on Tuesday 1st Apr 2014

London - based entrepreneur shortlisted in prestigious national retail competition Air & Grace London could be in line for £150,000 investment as Worth Foundation fund winners are selected

Air & Grace London, a retail firm from London, is one of 10 businesses shortlisted in the prestigious Worth Foundation competition – the largest crowd-funded fund ever*. Run by the experts at Worth Retail and a panel comprised of some of the UK’s top entrepreneurs, the Worth Foundation fund has been scouring the nation to find a retail start-up with a big idea that will get people up and down the UK reaching for their wallets.

Air & Grace London, a women's footwear brand "made beautiful for busy feet" with patent pending Tender Loving Air TM technology, was selected out of the nearly 1,000 firms who applied.

The only retail specific competition of its kind, the competition used the equity crowdfunding website Seedrs to secure a record- breaking £300,000 investment pot, with funding from 259 investors from 11 countries around the world – with £150,000 available for the winner and £75,000 for two runners up, as well as expert mentoring from Alex Johns and Paul Soanes, the founders and managing partners of Worth Retail, which has previously worked with brands such as Maybelline and the BBC.

Air & Grace London was born out of the desire for shoes that feel as good as they look. Combining modern, feminine design with patent pending, Tender Loving Air TM cushioning, to create footwear that is "made beautiful for busy feet"

Founded by Claire Burrows, formerly senior buyer at Kurt Geiger and Head of design & product development at Fitflop, through her 20 year career she has gained the perfect blend of skills and knowledge to create Air & Grace London.

Claire collaborated with a leading footwear technologist to develop Tender Loving Air TM which lovingly cushions every step so your feet don't have to suffer the knocks of everyday life, even when you do. The patent pending super slimline design is cleverly hidden so as not to compromise on style. Beautiful shoes for busy feet is now a reality.

Hand made in a family run factory in Portugal, using only the finest of components and luxurious butter soft leathers. Each style is specifically designed to be a modern classic, transcending seasons and short-lived trends. Combining both style and function, these are the shoes that love you back.

Claire Burrows, the founder of Air & Grace London will attend a pitching day at London’s Hospital Club on 4 April and present their ideas to the expert judging panel, which is comprised of top UK entrepreneurs: Roger Wade of Boxpark, Jeff Lynn of Seedrs and Michael Acton Smith of Mind Candy, along with Jayne Atherton, Metro’s Business Editor and Kenny Campbell, Metro’s Editor.

Discussing the competition, Claire Burrows of Air & Grace London said: “I was overjoyed to learn that I’d won a place in the Worth Foundation final. I’m really looking forward to the judging day, and believe that I can get the panel as excited about my business as I am!”

Alex Johns, managing partner of Worth Retail added: “Claire was against some very stiff competition, but we were really impressed by her ideas. We’re confident that Air & Grace London has huge potential, and we’re looking forward to hearing more about it on the judging day”

*Investors have invested in a fund which will be awarded to as yet unidentified talent, as opposed to investing in a known business.